How to Define Success For Yourself: Beyond the Paycheck

The dictionary defines success as the attainment of status and possessions. While that might be how Webster defines success for itself (and for those who resonate with that statement), there are others who have already realized this definition and still feel unfulfilled.

…because that’s what success is a measurement of;fulfillment!

By focusing on this word, we are shifted into a new paradigm of thinking that provides a much more clear path to the destination that we call success. It’s what makes us jump out of bed excited in the morning, knowing we have purpose and mission.

Maya Angelou believes, “Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.”

So when is enough, enough? This is why we need to build in a framework. It’s not enough to just keep focused on purpose and mission. Eventually we would burnout and wonder all over again if we’ve reached success at all.

Create a framework that you work inside of. Define the things you need and want in your life, knowing if you didn’t have these things you would feel regret.
This could look like:

Being there for your kids at every sporting event and rehearsal

Having evenings and weekends for your spouse

Being a member of an organized sports team

Reading a new book each month

Living in a certain part of town, or part of the world

Visiting family in Greece 8 weeks of the year

It doesn’t matter what it is, as long as you know what it is.

From this place you can begin to calculate the amount of money you would need, the number of hours you want to work, which days and times you want to be off the clock, etc.

You can begin to see and feel the very word “Success” changing from a dream or goal – to a plan.
This has been the foundation of Dr. Tom’s coaching program from the beginning. In his practice, no matter how big it grew, or how many new patients he saw, there was no greater feeling of happiness attached to the outcome. There had to be more to it… So he cut his hours to spend more time with his family, increased vacation time, raised his prices to be more congruent with the amount of income he needed to support his defined lifestyle, and began living on purpose rather than by default.

By defining success as more than the size of a paycheck, you are helping this world spin a little more peacefully.